Pitcher of the Week - Week One - Jay Jackson - Delaware Cows

For the first time in over a decade, the Delaware Cows can claim the credit for a no-hitter. All honor goes to the pitcher, Jay Jackson of Furman University in Furman, SC. This feat, a game against Xenia on June 17th, earned him the title of Pitcher of the Week for the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, a collegiate wood-bat baseball league.

"I told the guys, and Jay, that this [no-hitter] is the single most dominating and impressive pitching performance I've seen since I've been coach," says nine-year field manager Bruce Heine of his sophomore hurler.

Jackson, a Taylors, SC native with a record of 2-0, struck out 10 batters and had an opponent batting average of 0.091 over the course of 9.2 innings. He attributes his success to a good handle on his fastball, which, according to him, was "running in the upper 80s to lower 90s [mph]."

And hopefully the scouts were watching.

Jackson has pitched a no-hitter before, as a junior in high school, but says this one was much harder to win.

"Here there are better hitters with more skill. There's just a higher caliber of player," he says.

Coach Bruce Heine says that he suspected that Jackson could achieve a no-hit game during the 5th inning, but still let his pitcher and catcher, Mike Cero, call their own shots, which clearly paid off in the end.

Jackson didn't even have to deal with traditional superstitions, such as not talking to a pitcher in the dugout during a possible no-hitter. The Cows "just kept everything the same and just enjoy[ed] the summer league." says Jackson.

Being that the 17th was Fathers' Day, the game held a little extra meaning.

Jackson says, "I always try to do something nice for my parents... for Mothers' and Fathers' Day, so this was pretty great."

Most fathers would gladly accept their son's no-hitter as a gift.